Creamy Potato Soup

Published March 2, 2021

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Potato Soup loaded with chunks of tender, hearty potatoes and made with a rich and creamy soup base. This soup is a reader favorite and for good reason – it’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! Top it with cheddar and bacon and no one will be able to resist.

Photo: Serving of potato soup shown in a brown bowl set over a decorated white and red plate. Potato soup is garnished with cheddar, bacon and green onions. Wheat bread is shown as a serving suggestion.

The BEST Potato Soup!

This is my idea of the perfect homemade potato soup! It’s creamy, it’s amazingly filling and it’s packed with goodness.

Growing up we had a lot of potato soup. It might have something to do with the fact that my grandparents were potato farmers so that just got passed down. My mom made it probably twice a month and now it’s the same for me, especially during cold winter months.

You’ll love that it’s something everyone in the family can agree on, and even get’s excited about when announced it’s what will soon await for dinner.

It’s also a very convenient recipe. Most of the ingredients are food staples you can keep on hand that don’t spoil quickly. The potatoes, carrots, celery and onions store well for weeks (and if you opt for bacon that keeps great in the freezer).

This easy potato soup recipe is one I would deem worthy of your recipe book! It’s an ultra comforting and cozy dish you’ll turn to time and time again.

Plus it makes great leftovers for lunch the next day if you happen to have any left.

Watch the Potato Soup Video!

 

Overhead photo of potato soup in a large red and white pot set over a wooden tabletop with serving suggestions to the side.

Photo of ingredients used to make homemade potato soup. Includes russet potatoes, milk, carrots, celery, yellow onion, flour, sour cream, butter, chicken broth, salt, pepper and optional bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese.

Creamy Potato Soup Recipe Ingredients

  • Russet potatoes
  • Yellow onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Milk
  • Sour cream
  • Optional toppings (cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions)

Collage of six photos showing steps to making potato soup. Shows simmering potatoes, carrots, celery and onion in chicken broth. Then includes first steps of making roux by melting butter and mixing with flour.

How to Make Potato Soup

  1. Add veggies and broth to pot: Combine diced potatoes, carrots, celery and onions with chicken broth in a large pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Bring to boil: Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (it will take about 10 minutes to reach a boil).
  3. Let simmer until tender: Once it reaches a boil reduce heat to medium and continue to cook about 15 – 20 minutes longer until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork.
  4. Prepare white sauce in separate pan: Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook for 1 minute while whisking constantly. While whisking, slowly add milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins thicken.
  5. Combine mixtures: Once potatoes are soft add thickened milk mixture to potato soup mixture and stir (potatoes should start breaking down into soup, if not cook a few minutes longer).
  6. Stir in sour cream: Add sour cream and mix well.
  7. Finish with toppings if desired: Ladle soup into serving bowls, top each serving with bacon or ham, cheddar cheese and green onions.

Collage of six images showing continued steps of making potato soup. Includes mixing dairy into roux, then pouring into cooked potato mixture, then finishing with sour cream. Completed potato soup photo.

Helpful Tips

  • Stick with russet potatoes. They aren’t firm and waxy like the red and yellow and they’ll start to break down and make the soup creamy.
  • Measure out the ingredients. If you have too many or too little potatoes it will change the consistency.
  • Don’t add other herbs or spices. I know that can be tempting but the simple flavors are perfect here.
  • Monitor texture of potatoes as they cook. You want potatoes that are tender but not completely mushy or you’ll have mashed potato soup.
  • For extra complimentary flavors add toppings. Cheddar and bacon are the flavor pairing to potatoes.
  • Try substituting heavy cream or half and half for the sour cream. It is also such a delicious option.

Variations

  • Try adding a few large handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese right into the soup (at the end off heat) for a cheddar potato soup.
  • Up the veggies. Include others such as peas or corn.
  • Make it meaty. Add cooked sausage (ground or slices of kielbasa) to the soup. Or go with the ham or bacon option, which you can mix right into the soup as well.
  • Serve with homemade dinner rolls for dipping, making it the ultimately hearty meal!

Close up photo of scoop of potato soup in a laddle.

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4.96 from 315 votes

Potato Soup

One of my go-to soup recipes and a reader favorite! It's such a creamy, hearty, comforting soup. While the toppings (cheddar, bacon, and green onions) are optional I highly recommend them for that loaded baked potato style flavor!
Servings: 5 servings
Prep20 minutes
Cook30 minutes
Ready in: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Optional Toppings:

  • Cooked chopped bacon or chopped cooked ham, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions or chives

Instructions

  • Combine diced potatoes, carrots, celery and onions with chicken broth in a large pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (it will take about 10 minutes to reach a boil).
  • Once it reaches a boil reduce heat to medium and continue to cook about 15 - 20 minutes longer until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook for 1 minute while whisking constantly. While whisking, slowly add milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins thicken.
  • Once potatoes are soft add thickened milk mixture to potato soup mixture and stir (potatoes should start breaking down into soup).
  • Add sour cream and mix well. 
  • Ladle soup into serving bowls, top each serving with bacon or ham, cheddar cheese and green onions.

Notes

  • *Try substituting heavy cream or half and half for the sour cream. It is also such a delicious option.
  • Toppings not included in nutrition estimate as these are optional.
  •  Note that the soup will thicken as it rests so if you happen to have left overs you can thin with a little water or milk).
Nutrition Facts
Potato Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 441 Calories from Fat 189
% Daily Value*
Fat 21g32%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 56mg19%
Sodium 486mg21%
Potassium 1177mg34%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 6155IU123%
Vitamin C 16.5mg20%
Calcium 220mg22%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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654 Comments

  • Melanie Perry

    This soup is WONDERFUL! I just made it and didn’t have to tweak it at all! Author is right.. after it cools you may want to add more liquid, but I didn’t.

  • Kate

    Wow! So Good!
    I followed the entire recipe as stated except two things that were a little different; I made sure to add the milk, a little at a time and stirred a lot. I found it makes a big difference in the smoothness of a white sauce and later when it didn’t thicken enough, I used 2.5T corn starch with 1/4 C cold milk and added it to the potatoes. So they both thickened a a little for a perfect balance.
    Thanks for the recipe!

  • George Russell

    sounds like the soup my mother made on the farm. Im going to give it a go.

  • Beth Wilson

    Hi, this recipe looks delicious. I’m going to try it. I was wondering if you happen to know the pattern name of the gorgeous red china plate above, that the potato soup is on? I remember this pattern from my childhood and had not seen it in decades! If you happen to read this comment and know the pattern name of that plate, please let me know. Thank you so much!

    Beth

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Sorry for the late reply! They are Bristol Crown Ducol antique plates.

  • Tricia

    Can I used almond milk instead of milk? I don’t have sour cream so I will be using HWC instead.

      • Maw Maw

        This recipe is the best. Ive made it many times now and we love it. I do use heavy cream instead of sour cream. Thank you so much for bringing this into our kitchen!
        s

        • Penelope Boslett-Smith

          Made your Creamy Potato Soup today, and it is delicious! I added shredded cheddar cheese and green onions when serving and this was a great complement to the soup. Next time I make this soup, I will definitely add bacon as an additional complement.

          Penny
          A fan from Pittsburgh, PA

  • Dayna Grunewald

    I left out all other veggies. Didn’t have fresh chives so I put in dried chives which just wasn’t the same. It tastes just like my favorite restaurants soup. Will definitely make this again.

  • Brenda

    I made this soup for supper on a cold rainy night in March. It was very good! I agree, don’t skip the toppings! Thanks for the recipe!